3VED23DQFN00 Whirlpool Refrigerator - Instructions

I replaced the control bracket, which has mounts for the switches used to activate the ice and water dispensers. The water switch mount was broken, so the switch would not activate. It was great that I could find this part (the control bracket) on PartSelect's site.

If the person doing the repair has a little patience, then he/she will be rewarded!:

The first step is to pry off the front panel: I pried off the panel at the bottom. It will pop off, but takes a little effort. I used a couple of screwdrivers to pull it up at a couple of spots at the same time. Once the bottom pops out, then I pulled straight up on the panel. (If you try to pop out the panel at the top, you will damage it, so make sure to pop it out at the bottom.)

Next, disconnect the wiring that goes to the panel, and put the panel aside.

I then took a digital picture of the arrangement of wires and switches on the control bracket.

I disconnected any wires going from the inner part of the refrigerator to the control bracket, and then unscrewed the control bracket.

After removing the old control bracket, I carefully noted how the two switches (one for ice, one for water) mount into it. I removed these switches and put them into the new control bracket.

I then remounted the control bracket into the refrigerator, screwing it into place. I used the digital picture that I had taken earlier to make sure that I knew how to reconnect all of the wires.

I plugged the the remaining wires to the front panel, and then snapped the front panel back into place on the refrigerator door.

I was done!

First, turn of the water supply. Then remove the snap on grill from the bottom front of the refrigerator. Disconnect the black hose from the white hose and drain the hoses into a suitable recepticle. Then remove the 1/4" screw that holds the nozzle in place. Cut the hose off just behind the nozzle bracket and tape the end of the new hose to the now exposed end of the existing hose. From the bottom of the door you can now gently pull out the old hose while pulling in the new one. Re-attach the new hose to the existing white hose and replace the 1/4' screw to the new nozzle bracket. I reccoment using 1" wide tape and only going around the tubes once. Too much tape and you won't be able to feed it through the small hole at the bottom of the door. Have someone feed the hose from the top as you gently pull from the bottom.

Being a jet mechanic I had to familiarize myself with refrigerators, then after 2 or 4 hours of online studying, opened the door pulled the temp knobs of, removed the panel by gently prying the top of the panel out,then up and out with it. I found tapping on the thermostat shaft or wiring connection started the compressor, verifying my belief it was the thermostat. Don't mess with wiring if you don't know exactly what you are doing and unit is plugged in, you will electrocute yourself!!! I received the thermostat, UNPLUGGED THE UNIT from the house wall outlet, took one screw out of the upper inner wall at the very top to remove cover, one screw at the back top to remove the other cover (at the control vent) for access to remove sensor, then removed 4 screws , 2 front, 2 underneath to drop the housing for defrost timer, etc., and then took 2 screws from thermostat, unplugged wiring from thermostat (3 wires, be sure to put them back on the same place in the new thermostat). Remove old thermostat, slide plastic cover off sensor and slide back onto new thermostat sensor. Be careful not to kink the line or bend it to sharp you will damage it, (use gentle curves when bending it,) and re assemble everything in reverse order. This took about me 15 or 20 minutes start to finish. Plug into wall and watch thermometer to verify success.

Remove the cover plate from the bottom. Use care and patience when performing this step. It takes longer to remove the cover plate than replacing all of the parts involved. Slide off each switch, unplug electrical connectors and trust me when I tell you that you can figure out the rest. E Z, E Z, E Z!!!!!

Linkage on the cold-control mechanism in the air diffuser assembly was broken. It was necessary to access the diffuser assembly from both the refrigerator and freezer sides of the unit.
Re-connected the linkage between the diffuser and cold-control assembly; remounted the two combined assemblies . . . refrigerator working nicely now.

Be advised that to do this job, you have to take the ice tray and feeder assembly completely apart. The only tricky part is that the nut, part 31 in the drawing, that holds everything together is reverse threaded. Since it's plastic, you're afraid you'll break it. If you know it's reverse threaded to begin with you can go ahead and apply the required force to get it off.

First I installed a defrost timer, (the old timer had burnt out contacts in it) It seemed to work for a few days, then went back to not comng out of defrost cycle, I then installed a defrost thermostat. It seems to be working better than before. I found out that maybe I wasn't running it cold enough. So I turned it up colder. Now it works ok for 2 - 3 days, then I check the Temp in the freezer and its up to 6o. So I manually reset the timer and it works for 2 - 3 days. Don't know what to do now to fix it.

part arrived within 24 hours.
1. remove plastic front of freezer door water and ice dispenser by looking at bottom edge of plastic for two slots within which to place a stiff scraper blade. very difficult to pop loose and very fragile plastic so take care not to break it. it just pops off two spots on the bottom side and hangs from the top no screws or anything.
2. remove the two screws holding the water dispenser spout in place. oh yeah don't forget to turn the water off.
3. this is a long plastic water tube that runs from the dispenser thru a plastic tube channel set in the solid foam core of the door thru the bottom hinge and connects to the water inlet junction.
a. this replacement must be pulled from the dispenser area thru the door and out the bottom but it will not fit without cutting off the end of the spout. the hole in the hinge that it passes thru at the bottom of the door is to tight to allow anything other than the thickness of the tubing.
b. pull the spout end of the tubing upward after disconnecting at the bottom in front behind the air grill. if it moves freely you are in luck - if it does not move freely then it is taped in place on the back of the dispenser area and now that whole assembly has to be unscrewed from the front of the freezer door in order to remove the tape so that the tubing can be pulled thru.
4. once the tubing pulls easily as short distance in either direction it is time to attach the new tubing to the old tubing and pull it out the bottom of the door. i tried to use tape but it pulled off when i got to the door hinge on the bottom and it would not fit thru the hinge.
a. on my model even one layer of tape would not fit thru the hinge. so i put some bricks under the freezer door to hold it up and removed the bottom hinge off of the tubing that was disconnected only a short distance away.
5. use tape or place a screw with the head removed into both the old tubing and the new tubing so it can be pulled from the bottom moving the new tubing into place.
mine broke off in the middle of this process and i had to remove the freezer door. take it completely apart to expose the conduit the tubing slides thru, then run an electrical fish tape thru the conduit and drag the new tubing thru, not a fun process but doable - just takes a bunch of extra time.
6. once the tubing was out the bottom i could then simply thread it thru the hinge easily and reassemble everything.

I unplugged the fridge. Loosened the 2 top screws on the ice maker and removed the lower screw. I disconnected the wiring harness and removed the Ice maker. I removed the plastic timer cover in front. I then loosened the screws on the face of the ice maker and removed the broken ice stripper and replaced it with a new one. Re-tightened the screws on the face, installed the timer cover, plugged in the wiring harness, re-attached the ice maker. Plugged the fridge back in and walla, it was making ice in 30 minutes!

Mine is a simple tale of the missing ice cube dispensor guide. When we moved, the guide was missing so when I built our new home with a kitchen in the basement I wanted to hook up the ice dispensor but when I did, the ice cubes always fell off to one side. I decided to order the misssing part on-line. I ordered it paid for it and then received it the next day-wonderful. Within ten minutes, I was ready to go. Thanks for great service. Rick Davis, Bloomington, IL.

After removing a few screws to get to the drum my husband had it back to working like a charm.This part seems to be better made than the original part in the refrigerator.

Excellent fit and installation. The door bins slid right in and created the extra space needed on the shelves.

This company is WONDERFUL! I ordered the wrong drawer the first time, but their return process was a snap and the correct drawer arrived the next day. It's great to know that there is someone out there with just about every part you'll need for about any appliance that is truly customer friendly.

I called the local Amana repair man, wanted $150 for a new ice maker because they could not get the part I needed. Found Partsselect.com and the part cost $17 with shipping. They saved me over $100. The repair was very easy too, just removed a couple of screws.

Thanks,
Matt

Cut off old nozzle. Tried electricians tape to join the old and new tubing for fishing, but tube with tape on it, wouldn't fit through hole in hinge at bottom of door. Fished nylon twine through new tube then old tube from dispenser end and was able to feed old tube out and new tube in. Fast and easy. Took more time to clean all the dust and dirt I found down under, than to make the repair.